Famous San Jose Food Stops

San Jose is a paradise for food lovers and culture seekers. From authentic Vietnamese food and Oaxacan Mexican cuisine to historic barbecue joints, the city's food scene is dynamic and diverse. Not only does the food attract celebrity guests, but the city is also home to two of the greatest competitive eaters the world has ever seen.

We've bookmarked some of the big names who have eaten here in San Jose. Save this list below to follow in their footsteps and try some of these amazing restaurants.

Anthony Bourdain of Parts Unknown Visited…

Japantown's San Jose Minato Restaurant (617 N. 6th Street)

A no-frills spot serving authentic Japanese cuisine, known for sushi, udon, and katsu
What Anthony ordered: Chicken katsu with curry sauce and cod cheek

Andrew Zimmern of Bizarre Foods Visited…

Mezcal (25 W. Fernando Street)

Authentic Oaxacan regional cuisine utilizing family recipes passed on from previous generations
What Andrew ordered: Chapulines (fried grasshoppers seasoned, sautéed and placed in a taco)

Bun Bo Hue An Nam (740 Story Road #3)

Casual Vietnamese venue providing a simple menu known for its pho, bun bo hue, and other noodle soups.
What Andrew ordered: Ox penis soup

Gaku Yakitori (5152 Moorpark Avenue, Suite 40)

A stylish place serving traditional Japanese charcoal-grilled skewers
What Andrew ordered: skewered meat grilled with special charcoal imported from Japan, called Binchotan

Adam Richman of Man V. Food Visited…

Henry's Hi-Life (301 W. St. John Street)

Casual joint with hearty portions of steak, pork chops, ribs & chicken, all grilled in an oak pit
What Adam ordered: the beloved finger-licking baby back ribs

SmokeEaters (New San Jose location: 5018 Almaden Expressway)

A local chain serving various flavors of wings in a casual space
What Adam ordered: A dozen wings drenched in a lethal sauce, better known as the “Hellfire Challenge,” where customers have 10 minutes to eat 12 wings covered in SmokeEaters hottest “Hellfire” sauce

Guy Fieri of Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives, and Festus Ezeli of the Golden State Warriors Visited…

Falafel’s Drive-In (2301 Stevens Creek Boulevard)

Roadside fixture vending falafel and other Middle Eastern eats & shakes through a take-out window
What Guy ordered: Falafel, Falafel Salad and a Banana Milkshake
What Festus ordered: Large Banana Shake and Falafel

Famous San Jose Competitive Eaters

Joey "Jaws" Chestnut

Joey Chestnut, who resides in San Jose and attended San Jose State University, is currently the #1 competitive eater in the world, according to Major League Eating. He holds 55 World records across 55 disciplines, and has the world record for hot dogs eaten, chowing down 76 hot dogs in 10 minutes. He is currently the greatest competitive eater of all-time.

Matt Stonie

Matt Stonie was the winner of the 2015 Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, when he ate 62 hot dogs in 10 minutes to defeat fellow San Jose local Joey Chestnut. Stonie is a San Jose native and currently runs his own YouTube channel, where he has 16.4 million followers and counting.

Famous Foods That Originated in San Jose

Eggo Waffles

The Eggo Waffle was invented in San Jose by three brothers, Tony, Sam, and Frank Dorsa. In 1953, the Dorsa brothers introduced Eggo frozen waffles.

Fruit Cocktail

The fruit cocktail has been a staple of San Jose’s canned fruit industry since the 1940’s. The combination of pears, grapes, peaches, pineapple, syrup and cherry halves was one of the most popular products produced by Del Monte Foods.

Discover the Wide Variety of Flavors in San Jose

Ready to taste what everyone's talking about? Explore San Jose's vibrant and diverse dining scene through our Restaurants page.